Teaching systems of equations is always a challenge for me. It’s a culmination of so many things that we’ve done during the year. Some students seem to memorize the steps, but I find that it doesn’t really stick unless they understand what they are doing. We use the interactive notebook throughout the unit. We add information, synthesize, practice, and reflect, all in the interactive notebook. Let’s break down what this whole systems of equations unit looks like in our interactive notebooks. [Read more…] about How to Teach Systems of Equations with Interactive Notebooks
systems of equations
9 How Many Solutions Activities
In 8th grade math when we introduce the concept of how many solutions there can be to a system of equations, it pretty much blows students minds. They get so used to everything having one right answer and it being one number. But when we start talking about the different number of solutions, now they have to identify how many answers it may have, and some of them fight against that idea. In our scope and sequence we introduce this topic when we learn about solving multi-step equations that have a variable on both sides because you can have infinite solutions or no solutions in these cases. We teach it again later in the year when we get to solving systems of equations. Check out these nine activities sure to help students understand and find how many solutions exist in a system of equations. [Read more…] about 9 How Many Solutions Activities
15 Systems of Equations Activities For Your Classroom
If systems of equations were a person, it would probably be my arch nemesis. I’ve struggled to find ways to get students to understand what systems of equations represents and then for them to solve using different methods. My first year teaching it I remember just trying to teach my math lab kids one way to do it so that they could “survive” the end of unit test. Man, do I wish I could have those students back and have a second chance to teach them systems of equations.
Now, not only do I have more tricks up my sleeve for teaching students to solve systems of equations, I also have found so many fun systems of equations activities that help students really understand how to solve with different strategies. So check out these 15 systems of equations activities that will help students understand and practice finding the solution to two linear equations. [Read more…] about 15 Systems of Equations Activities For Your Classroom
11 Graphing Activities for Solving Systems of Linear Equations
So much of what we teach in 8th grade math seems to be preparing our students to solve systems of linear equations. Understanding what a linear equation represents in its many forms helps students to see what they are doing with a system of equations. Graphing a system of equations shows students the most visual representation. It also lends itself to using real life situations, so that students can put it into context. Today I’ll share with you 11 activities that help students understand how to solve systems of equations with graphing. [Read more…] about 11 Graphing Activities for Solving Systems of Linear Equations
How Many Solutions Does the System of Equations Have? Teaching Tip
This week we learned a great way to distinguish between the different options of how many solutions exist when working with two equations in a system of equations. I was working with a group of students who were struggling to really see what they were trying to do when identifying how many solutions are possible. They just didn’t understand what it meant for a system of equations to have one solution vs. no solutions vs. infinite solutions. So, we started adding the strategy of hand gestures, and it really seemed to help some of them understand this topic differently.
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